Just Another Night on the Citadel
by Lost Triforce
Summary: Shepard and Liara unveil their 3 year old daughter to the world for the first time on the Citadel... And manage to lose her. Oneshot Mega fluff!


**Just some sweet fluffy stuff! Enjoy and PLEASE review! (also, for the Purpose of this Fic, Emily Wong survives)**

Shepard gave himself a once over in the mirror of his dimly lit bathroom as he clasped on the second cuff link. Being in a well-tailored suit and wearing expensive cologne wasn't exactly his thing, and reminded him irritably of the Illusive Man. He shove the thought aside, however, as he focused on the night he had ahead of him. Four years had passed since the destruction of the reapers, and Hackett had called together the heroes of the war to speak to press and have dinner together in a very "red carpet"-esque setting. Though he was nervous to answer to respected galactic news reporters and tabloids, Shepard was looking forward to seeing all his comrades together in one place again.

"You're awfully quiet. Is something wrong?"

Shepard turned to see his wife, Liara T'soni in a tight, ruched, strapless dress.

"Good evening, Ms. Shadow broker."

Liara giggled girlishly as Shepard spun her around, placing chaste kisses here and there on her neck and cheek.

"Shepard! We don't have time!"

She gasped, pulling away to fuss at his suit.

"No tie?" she asked.

"Bit old fashioned, don't you think?"

"Yes, I'm just surprised you came to that conclusion on your own."

Shepard rolled his eyes at his wife, frowning when he noticed something was missing.

"Where's our little girl?" He asked, searching for his three-year-old blue daughter.

"Athena is still in her room," Liara answered, coming closer to Shepard to whisper, "I think she's nervous about tonight."

Since Athena's birth, Liara and Shepard did their best to keep her out of the public eye: They never answered questions about her (her name and birthday were entirely unknown to the public), her carrier and stroller were always covered, she wore hoodies to cover her face on the few occasions she went out with no stroller.

But tonight Liara and Shepard both agreed to reveal her to the world. It was a major risk, but they couldn't hide her forever.

"Nervous? I'll go talk to her."

Shepard muttered

"You sure?"

"Yeah, I got it."

Shepard walked through the hall way of their spacious Presidium condo down to the little room marked with a golden 'A'. Standing dead center in the pink and blue room, looking petrified in a pleated black dress was Athena, clutching a stuffed Hanar as if her life depended on it. She seemed to not have noticed Shepard enter until he kneeled beside her and picked her chin up with his finger.

"Oh, hi Daddy..." she mumbled, looking so sad it hurt Shepard.

"What's wrong, Athena?

Yesterday you seemed excited to go to the dinner party and meet people."

"But Daddy," Athena whimpered in her tiny voice, " What if they don't like me?"

Shepard messed Athena's head crest and smiled at her.

"They're going to love you, I promise."

Athena straightened up, feeling reassured, and smiled up at her father.

"Ready to go?"

"Yup!"

Shepard turned to leave the room stopping just short of the door frame as Athena called out

"Daddy?"

"Yes sweetie?"

"Can Grape come with us?"

Athena squeezed her stuffed hanar to her chest. Shepard had bought it for her as a souvenir from a mission that took him to Kahje, and she immediately took to calling it 'Grape'. It was her security blanket and best friend.

Shepard smiled down at his tiny daughter.

"Of course you can bring Grape."

"You wanna count us off, kid?" Shepard asked from the front seat of the family car.

"Yup!"

Athena scrunched up her nose and pretended to hold a radio up to her face. In a fake manly voice she announced:

"Aaaaand mission is go! Liftoff in 5! 4! 3! 2!"

The car hummed to life and took off on it's short journey to the center Presidium parking lot.

"And we're golden! Take off was a success!"

Liara reached back to hi-five both Athena and Grape as a congratulations.

"Easy on the landing, Daddy!" Athena cried from the back as they reached their destination.

"I got it, I got it," Shepard grumbled, rolling his eyes at his back seat driver.

All three of them piled out of the car and began walking into the large crowd of politicians and war heroes. As soon as Shepard set foot into the venue cameras went off everywhere.

"Shepard! A quick interview please?"

"Ms.T'soni, what do you have to say about-"

"Commander! A word-"

"Liara T'soni, would you-"

One moment Athena was right by her parent's side, and the next she was swept up in the crowd of reporters, lost.

"Mommy?"

Athena pushed through a wall of legs, scanning the crowd desperately for her lost parents.

"Ah! Here she is! The scoop of the night!"

Athena turned to see a bright light snap on in her face, blinding her. In the next moment her image was plastered over every screen in the Citadel, broadcasting live.

"Khalisa Bint Sinan Al-Jilani, Westerlund News. I'm here with the hot talk of the night, Liara T'soni and Commander Shepard's secret child. Tell us, why has your father chosen to lie and keep secrets about you time and time again? Is it shame from his interspecies relationship? Or perhaps there's something wrong with you?"

Athena looked around, confused by the scene before her.

"There you have it folks," Al-Jilani sneered, "Shepard's child- deaf and dumb, perhaps even with some form of retardation. No wonder he'd keep it a secret."

The Citadel went quiet as Athena's face crunched up and she began to sob, begging for her parents.

"You!"

Al-Jilani turned just in time to see a very pissed off Emily Wong storm her way.

"I've had about enough of your slanderous equivocations!"

Al-Jilani didn't even have time to duck as Emily swung at her, punching her square in the face.

There was applause as Athena finally rejoined her parents, Shepard picking her up as she buried her face in his shoulder.

"Thanks, Ms. Wong," Shepard said, rubbing Athena's back comfortingly.

"No problem. Do accept my apologies, sweetheart, not all reporters are so mean."

Athena turned to her slightly, smiling.

"You throw a mean right hook, Miss Lady!"

The four of them laughed as Shepard returned Athena to the floor where she gripped his leg, hiding her face in his pant leg.

"Would you mind giving me an interview, please?"

Athena nodded.

Again the screens of the Citadel illuminated as Emily's feed replaced Al-Jilani's.

"Emily Wong, Citadel News, reporting with the galaxy's sweetheart, daughter of Commander John Shepard and Liara T'soni. Hello, sweetie!"

Athena gripped her father's leg harder, muttering a quiet "hi".

"What's your name, dear?"

"Athena Shepard-T'soni, and this is Grape!" She said, holding up her Hanar friend for the camera and causing many smiles to break over the hardened war vets' and politicians' faces.

"And how old are you?"

"I'm this many," she said, holding up three fingers.

"And do you love your parents?"

Athena smiled up at Shepard and Liara who were both giving her looks of pure affection.

"Yes, ma'am, very very much."

The patrons of the Citadel 'awwed' as Emily continued her interview with Shepard and Liara.

On the car ride home Shepard and Liara argued over who lost sight of Athena first, although neither one was really angry. In the back seat of the car Athena curled up with Grape, eyes closed happily as she listened to her parent's banter. To some, they may have seemed an odd family, but to her they were absolutely perfect.

Just another night on the Citadel.


End file.
